MINERALO-CHEMICAL ASSESSMENT OF ILMENITES FROM THE THREE INDIAN PLACERS

Differently-weathered ilmenites of three Indian placers (Chavara, Manavalakurichi and Chatrapur) liave been characterised and compared using mineralogy and composition changes. Significant variation in terms of iron and titanium oxides is noticed in the magnetic fractions separated from each of the deposit-samples. Coexistence of ilmenite with pseudorutile, rutile and hematite is observed in substantially varying amounts in the three deposits. Tropical weathering ratlier than source-rock differences has apparently played an important role in imparting major compositional and structural dissimilarities among ilmenites in different placers.